Material allowed ingame by a DM

[Greenfield]

Sometimes it's an honest mistake. The rules aren't exactly clear all the time. (Why do you think there are so many rules discussions/arguments in forums like these?)

The new player, running the Anthropomorphic Leopard/Jaguar, wants to know if it would be okay to add "Warbeast" template to the character. (MMII).

It's a female character (i.e. "Catgirl") so the "Born and raised to be a mount" description inspires all kinds of nasty jokes, but I don't think the new player has actually read the full description. I think he just saw some advantages, and either didn't read the full text, or read it through ambition-colored glasses.

I've told him that we're not a highly optimized group, and that this isn't that sort of game, and he's agreed, but he still seems to be driven in that direction.

 

[Grogg of the North]

Having been in your shoes not too long ago, I wish you the best of luck. Hopefully your new player will slide into something more in alignment with your group and not just be a constant thorn in your side.

It's times like these that all those "How to interview perspective players" articles seem to make a lot of sense.

 

[Luce]

I have to say, I do have a "wolverine" character...but he's a Halfling.

Have you been playing the "Order of X" game?

 

[Zardnaar]

I used to allow the PHB and the 1st 4 complete books with a ban list of stuff.

Banned Feats. Natural Spell, Persistent Spell, Divine Metamagic
Banned PrCs: Frenzied Berzerker, Hulking Hurler, Incantrix,

There were a few more things like that but it has been a few years.

 

[Greenfield]

One minor escalation that's taken place was our problem child deciding to run a Catfolk character (from Races of the Wild). It's a +1 ECL, I believe, and gives some healthy stat bonuses.

Our new player saw that and liked it, but prefers the Anthropomorphic Leopard from Savage Species. It's a +1 Character Adjustment with two racial hit dice, and a lot bigger stat bonuses. Since his character is primarily a melee type (a Ranger, among other things), the monster hit dice aren't exactly a penalty.

In essence, he gets bigger bang for a very slightly greater price. The group, upon hearing the description, missed the fact that it's not the same template, but a more beefed up one.

The Catfolk was allowed, even though it's off-source, because after we pared down the grossly improper stuff, it seemed reasonable by comparison. In hindsight, we wish we had said no.

I suspect that the group, once fully informed, will reject the Anthropomorphic Leopard.

 

[Kobold Stew]

It's a +1 Character Adjustment with two racial hit dice, and a lot bigger stat bonuses. Since his character is primarily a melee type (a Ranger, among other things), the monster hit dice aren't exactly a penalty.

In essence, he gets bigger bang for a very slightly greater price.

The two monster levels usually have a huge negative impact on any build:
* it means that the character will have very weak skills: there are no class skills, and so there will be only 1+(.5 INT) skill maxed at level 1 (2+INT if the DM invents trained skills) instead of 6+INT (this is a huge hit on a ranger; the character is 20 skill points down then, at least)
* the character will be two hit dice down (because of the LA, which is +2 not +1) as well as being four levels down in all class abilities when compared to the party (and so also down another 12 or more skill points).

Note please that I'm not saying it should be allowed, or offering any advice about dealing with what I see as a clearly Problem Player. Just that depending on how much non-combat there is, this sort of twinking can backfire, on both the player and the party. (Savage Species itself has loads and loads of silly edge-cases in any case, and I agree that's it's probably best not to accept the character).

 

[Greenfield]

Thanks for pointing that out.

I'm going to advise the new player to create a couple of variations on what he wants. One should be strictly by the accepted books. One might include an aspect or two from some other source. The third should be what he's currently working on.

He said that he doesn't like the Races of the Wild approach to humanoid cats. I can see why. It's more balanced.

We'll see what happens.

 

[Kobold Stew]

He said that he doesn't like the Races of the Wild approach to humanoid cats. I can see why. It's more balanced.

Hilarious.

 

[Greenfield]

Okay, he's apparently abandoned the catgirl thing.

He's going to try to run a Petal (Tiny Fey, MMIII). It's a CR1 creature with a +2 Character adjustment. He wants to run it as a Rogue/Sorcerer, with only a one or two level dip into Rogue.

I think he's in love with fast movement. The Petal has a fly speed of 60, a +7 Charisma, +9 Dex (base 11 for each), and a -7 Strength (10 base)

Other than stat bumps, flight and a size modifier they don't have anything special. But the Dex and Charisma bumps make for a hefty rogue/sorcerer.

 

[Grogg of the North]

Aren't Petals listed as "Cohort Only"? Not sure if that's a deal breaker for you or not.